1989 Final Exams Questions

November 17, 1989

1. Discuss why many experts in the library profession feel that libraries need to change their primary strategy for providing users with access to information from one that emphasizes collection building, to one that emphasizes providing access to materials wherever they may be found. How would such a change in strategy for meeting user needs likely affect library planning and resource allocation decisions of the future?

2. The operation of libraries, and other types of information organizations, is frequently documented in a Policy and Procedures Manual. What kinds of information should be included in a library's Policy and Procedures Manual? From the perspective of a library of your choice (e.g., school, public, academic, special, etc.), discuss how you would go about establishing and documenting such formal policies and procedures (e.g., Who would participate in the process? How would the process be structured? Who would have responsibility for documenting the policies and procedures? Who would be involved in the review and approval process?, etc.).

3. What are the major intellectual freedom issues facing our society, and how does the library professiqn, in general, stand regarding these issues? Discuss.

4. Identify and briefly describe four major issues, trends or developments which have occurred in technical services (e.g., acquisitions, cataloging, serials control, etc.) over the last decade. Discuss how each is likely to affect library technical services activities in the future.

5. Identify and briefly describe four major issues, trends or developments which have occurred in public services (e.g., reference, interlibrary loan, circulation, bibliographic instruction, online search services, etc.) over the last decade. Discuss how each is likely to affect library public services activities in the future.

July 21, 1989

1. From the perspsctive of a of your choice (e.g., school media cente,, public, acadamic or special library, etc.), describes the most important factors which the librarian should consider when making decisions regarding ths developmemt of the library's collection.

2. Most studies of library use indicates that not more than 70 percent of the library's potential clients (i.e., all those people the library is charged to serve) actually use libraries on a regular basis as source of information. Why do you suppose that this is the case? What kinds of things could you recommend that would likely have the effect of converting part of that large group of non-users into users of libraries and their services? Discuss.

3. Discuss, in general terms, how computer technology has affected the nature of library services offered clients, and the library profession itself, over ths last two decades.

4. Describe the general structure of the information industry in the United States. Identify and discuss some of the common, and conflicting, interests of the library community and the information industry.

5. As the new director of a medium sized library (professional staff of five and non-professional staff of 12) anumber of staff members have indicated to you that the morale of the library222s staff is at an all-time low. Discuss how you, as the library222s director, would proceed in planning a resolution of this management problem.

April 14, 1989

1. Identify and describe four important ethical issues as regards libraries and library services (where ethical issues are those things which we should and should not do as information professionals) currently facing the library community.

2. Discuss the actions libraries have taken over the last decade to deal with the dramatic increase in the cost of library materials,(e.g., books, journals, nonprint materials, etc.). in your judgment, what do these actions suggest regarding the nature of library collections and services of the future? Discuss.

3. From the perspective of a library of your choice (e.g., school media center, public library, academic library, special library, etc.) identify a major client group the library serves (e.g., children, adults, undergraduates, physicians, aged, handicapped, minorities, etc.). Describe the nature of the information needs of your selected client group, and discuss the different kinds of information services which such libraries provide to satisfy those needs.

4. In 1984 Richard DeGennaro wrote that "The emphasis in libraries is shifting from collections to access. Providing access to information will be the principal goal and activity, and coping with technology and change will be the principal driving forces of the emerging information age library." Identify and describe important trends or developments in libraries and library services over the last two decades which support or refute Mr. DeGennaro's prediction.

5. Throughout our professional careers, all of us will have to deal with the subject of staff evaluation on a regular basis. Describe how staff evaluation is typically accomplished in libraries. Identify and briefly describe some of the most important issues or concerns of the profession as regards staff evaluation.